I was looking forward to to reading this latest book by Sarah Ladd. I was not disappointed. This is not the usual setting for a Regency story, as it’s set among the “merchant class”. The social and economic conflict between the mill owners and the weavers drives this storyline. It also sets the stage for the seemingly impossible romance between Kate, a weaver’s daughter, and Henry, the owner of a mill. I love Ms. Ladd’s writing style. Everything she writes, especially the dialogue, perfectly fits the time period. Not everything is “pretty” in this story, but the conflict and drama make for very interesting reading.

I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review. This is my honest opinion about this book.

This book was a delightful way to wrap up the month. I love Sarah E. Ladd's writing style. There was some great romantic tension in this story, and also a little mystery. It was a perfect comfort read for me. If you enjoy regency era stories you should give this one a try. It's very good.

I received a copy of this book for review.

I just adore the writing of Ms Ladd! An excellent tale involving the following of the traditions of ancestors. Hate turned to love. Misunderstanding turned to forgiveness. Loyalty recognized as way to follow right from wrong. A wonderful story that will stay with me for days and weeks to come.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists,
and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive
reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this
in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Are you looking for a consistent reliable author for clean regency fiction? Then look no further. Sarah Ladd is one of the best when it comes to unique and new plots, well developed characters and an engaging storyline.

The Weaver's Daughter is no exception. This is a tale of two families that have been at odds for many years, not only that, they are being torn apart from within. As industry is transforming in the region, the need for weavers is shrinking. Understandably as the Mills switch to more advanced machinery the traditional laborers in the Yorkshire Moors, are finding themselves out of work, and resorting to desperate measures. They are lashing out in illegal and violent ways as they try to destroy the Mills in the area. Silas Dearborne has been a master weaver his entire life and has already lost one son, whom he considers a traitor of the worst kind, to the Stockton Mill. His daughter Kate, is loyal, smart and true and has judged the Stocktons to be the worst kind of people.

Though he has been presumed dead in the war, heir to the Mill, Henry Stockton is back in Amberdale and the news has spread fast. Under pressure from his grandfather, and the Pennington's (the other wealthy Mill owners in the area), it doesn't take long for Henry to realise he has changed, and the things that used to matter to him are fading into the distance.

As Kate and Henry negotiate their respective circumstances, they find their situations are not all that dissimilar. Desperate to prove themselves to their respective family heads, they find that stubbornness rules.

Will Kate soften towards her brother Charles reasoning for leaving a dying trade to work for what he calls the 'future' in the Mill, and in turn give Henry a chance? Will Henry be able to get through to his Grandfather, and the weavers of the village and find ways to compromise?

As tensions escalate, Henry and Kate find themselves coming together despite the climate of conflict.

I loved the real history that Sarah always pulls into the story. It's interesting to note that whenever change comes along there will always be that need to accept and adapt. It'll never be without its challenges - in this case, the people lost livelihoods. Skills long valued become useless. Though many could now find employment in the Mill, it's clear the conditions were harsh. The hours long. The pressure to send their young children in also, and the abuse of that by some Mill owners a real problem. Even though the weavers choose a path that appears fruitless and dangerous, you will feel great empathy for their plight. Sarah does a great job of reaching across the barriers and allowing the reading to clearly see both sides of the difficulties being presented and taking you to a place of genuine concern for all.

There is a fairly size able group of characters, who all play a significant part. The mystery over Henry's sister Mollie, was intriguing and I'm hoping she gets a story next. I liked the lightness she brought to the serious storyline, despite the situation she has found herself in. Charles also would be a fun one to explore. He plays a pivotal role at supporting Kate through the difficulties that are thrown her way.

This is a beautiful story of overcoming barriers, of learning to not judge based on hearsay, or even by association. Both Kate & Henry are so very different from their father and grandfather yet both are judged for them. Discovering who you are may be something very different to what you've always believed.

I really enjoyed this book. As a child I visited some of the Mills in England, and really love the history of this time.

(I recently read another book based in Yorkshire and with a Mill as the main plot. There was far too much dialect written into the dialogue. Sarah has not done this, and I much preferred it - it works, really well. Thank you, for keeping your writing to a more classical style.)

Thanks to Netgalley & Thomas Nelson for a complimentary copy. This is my honest review.

I have not read anything by Sarah E Ladd before and I am happy to tell you that I was glad I read this book.

This is a Regency Romance novel that is well done. A fresh twist is that instead of being the aristocracy in the story, it was focused on the working class. This is a very refreshing idea.

The main characters are well developed. It focuses on how hard it is to change with the times. It focuses on competition and friction between families and within families. You get a good feeling of how it might be to live in this era and class of people.

The story flows well and the reading was easy. It kept my interest and I didn't feel bogged down in the story. There were some editing errors but hopefully, they will be resolved. Even with the errors, which can make or break a book for me, it was not too bad. They did not detract from the overall experience of reading this book.

I thought it was a Christian book. It was a good, clean book, but if you are looking to have God more prominent in the story, you will be disappointed. They did go to church and maybe prayed once or twice, but overall, not exactly what I think of when thinking of a Christian novel. It didn't take away from the book, this is just for your information.

Would I recommend this book to a friend? Yes, I would. In full disclosure, I requested and was given the chance to read this book on my Kindle. I am writing this review because I want to, not a requirement for getting the book.

'She had done what she told herself not to do. Somehow, in the cracks of daily life, she had let the wall around her heart crumble.'

Once again, Sarah Ladd has penned a powerful Regency! I have been a fan since her very first book and I eagerly await each offering from her.

The small village of Amberdale is torn with divided loyalties. Kate Dearbourne's family are weavers and their means of earning a living is being threatened by the big mills, one of which is run by the Stocktons, the richest folks in the village. Both Mr. Stockton and Kate's father are men of pride and bitterness. This small village seems to be at war and the sides are drawn well and good, with families set to be ripped apart.

Henry Stockton returns home after 3 years at war to this situation. He decides to go with his grandfather and modernize the family's wool mill, paying no heed to the local weavers' grumbling. Tragedy soon strikes and Henry is left to figure out how to proceed with the least amount of damage.

Henry and Kate, although seen as enemies in the eyes of all the village, find themselves drawn together, but how can this work without further destroying both their families? Both these young people soon realize that their loyalties may have been misplaced. Can they both stand for what is right even if it means losing what they have in their hearts for each other?

Sarah Ladd has such a way with words. When I crack open one of her book, I am transported back to the time and place and find myself walking the lanes with her characters, entering their homes and hearth, hearing their conversations. Her descriptions are vivid, her research impeccable and her characterization amazing. Beautifully written, this book is, and the mystery contained herein quite good indeed. I never guessed the culprit, not for a moment. Heart wrenching emotions also make this book one not to be missed, both for Ladd's fans and anyone who has never read her.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers through Net Galley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Loved this book!
I expected to enjoy this book somewhat, but I was in for a pleasant surprise! I was immediately drawn in to the story, and the author held my interest throughout.
Not long after beginning this book, we were watching Jeopardy and there was a question about “Luddites.” I was not familiar with the term, but it refers to people who were willing to destroy manufacturing machinery, in the false belief that the machinery caused unemployment. The term never came up in the novel, but the storyline was that of weavers vs mill owners in the early 19th century, and there was a movement toward destruction of the mill machinery by the weavers in some areas..
The author dealt well with this tension between weavers and mill owners, and even added a romance that “crossed the lines.”
A very well written story with a very satisfactory ending!
I was given an advance copy of this book by the publisher via netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Regency era love story that deals with the little-known industrialization of the weaving industry in England. I was rooting for Henry and Kate throughout—especially as Kate wrestled with her loyalty to her family in order to behave honorably. Excellent attention to detail. Highly recommended!

Loved this book

I have always loved Sarah E Ladd Books and she did not disappoint

Loved the Story, The Characters and The setting

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Title: The Weaver’s Daughter

Author: Sarah E. Ladd

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Era: Regency

Setting: mid-England countryside

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Source: from Netgalley (in exchange for an honest review)

Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

The Weaver’s Daughter by Sarah E. Ladd is a beyond amazing book with a serious moral issue. That may sound harsh, but that’s the only way to describe it. This review may offend some of y’all, but I’ve got to be truthful about my convictions, so here goes.

I still have some very positive things to say about this book. It was quite well-done. Beautiful writing, interesting setting, intriguing plot, and awesome characters. This book has it all … except that one subplot.

I’m again abandoning my regular format because this is a review that defies structure. I need to be able to talk freely.

It was really a five-star novel. From the tension between the up-and-coming mills and the old-fashioned weavers, to the (forbidden) romance between Kate and Henry, to Kate’s relationship with her father and on and on … beautiful.

It progressed smoothly, kept my attention, had an interesting mystery and a lot of excitement, and was reminiscent of North and South (only I actually like the characters and plot and all a lot better than North and South, shoot me).

Also, am I the only one who is just like: YAY MILLS YAY PROGRESS LET’S BOOT THOSE SLOW WEAVERS OUT OF HERE AND ACTUALLY GET SOME WORK DONE!? Because this is how I feel … :P

Also, all the weavers are complete jerks. Some of the mill folks are jerks, too, but the weavers were extra special jerks.

The whole setting was so excellent. The description really got me wrapped up in the book, combined with the excellent characters. Henry was my favorite, while Catherine’s brother and Catherine herself ran close second and third. Catherine’s dad was a jerk. #nuffsaid

The only problem was the subplot I mentioned earlier. Now, there are some mild spoilers in this next section, but since they are so mild they probably aren’t even spoilers in some ways, I won’t bother to mark them as such. Also, I hope y’all Christian readers will choose not to read this book, so it doesn’t really matter.

Molly, Henry’s younger sister, got pregnant out of wedlock … and Henry as well as Catherine act like this is perfectly okay (as do all the “good guy” characters).

Molly wants to keep her pregnancy a secret and comes up with a lie to cover up (understandable, considering the fact that she is going to be thrown off the earth once Regency society finds out), but all the characters are vehement that Molly needs to tell the truth.

And once she tells the truth the consequences of her sin (YES I SAID THE S-WORD) will go away?

Her lie is a worse sin that her sleeping with a man while unmarried and conceiving a child by him?

I am just so steamed about this that I’m getting angry again as I type.

Yes, forgiveness is very important … but only if the sinner is repentant. Because that’s what Molly is. A sinner. And I know we’re all sinners … but just ’cause we’re all sinners doesn’t mean that sin is okay.

It’s never okay.

If Molly’s lie wasn’t “a mistake” or “a temporary lapse of judgment,” neither was her fornication. (The pregnancy isn’t really the problem morally, just to clarify; let it never be said that a pregnancy is anything but a gift. Though it might seem like a consequence.)

This entire book treats anyone who judges Molly for her fornication like scum. But … that’s wrong. Judging people is wrong, and no sin is any worse than the other (as far as getting one into Hell and making you need Jesus, that is), but … that doesn’t make sin okay.

Also, even though we don’t have a right to judge anyone, of course, Molly will get judged. All the characters are living in this fantasy world where, if Molly is honest about her sin, then nothing bad will happen.

Er, excuse me? Regency England, anyone? Welcome to the 19th century? Molly is going to suffer for this for the rest of her life. Henry (and everyone) sheltering her from this fact is gonna do her no good.

Nor is acting like everything’s going to be okay, Mr. Protective Big Brother. Dear Henry, your sister cannot just move past this. Sin is never gonna just go away unless you confront it. And though Molly is perhaps very sorry she conceived, even sorry she gave away her virtue, she is definitely not thinking of it on the level of sin.

More like an impropriety or an inconvenience of sorts. But what God thinks is what matters … not what society thinks.

I get where the author was going. She wanted to show that fornication is not a worse sin than any other sin as far as salvation goes – or that’s my best guess.

But you can’t go about that by making lying seem a lot worse than it is and making fornication similar to dropping a plate on the floor. (Which would be a mistake.) (Unless you threw that plate at someone’s head.) (That’s concussioning thy neighbor.) (Or something to that effect.)

CONTENT: 4/5
Language: n/a

Violence: men are shot and killed or badly wounded, one man murdered in cold blood, others killed during a violent attack on the mill. Some talk about blood, treatment of wounds, etc. A brawl at a public dance leads to many a split lip.

Sexual: a semi-detailed account of childbearing. Molly has a child out of wedlock and this is treated as a ‘temporary lapse of judgment,’ a ‘mistake,’ and a ‘scandal’ but not as sin which it is (see my whole rant ^^). A couple kisses, a bit detailed.

Other: MOLLY LIES HEAVEN FORBID THAT MOLLY LIES OH NO WHAT SHALL WE DO!?!?!?!?! Lies are such a terrible sin … worse than any other, in fact …

Not recommended for readers under sixteen unless they are discerning and won’t be strayed by the confirmation of sin.

OVERALL: 3/5
I’m sorry, but I cannot and will not recommend this book to any Christian reader. Secular readers might enjoy it, as it is a great (5-star!) book except for the Molly fiasco. But Christian readers shouldn’t allow this kind of thing in their fiction. It’s abominable.

~Kellyn Roth

Sarah Ladd has never put a foot wrong, and The Weaver's Daughter is further proof. It is a very good story. The characters, plot and setting remind me of Larkrise to Candleford.

The Weaver's Daughter begins with the unexpected arrival of Henry Stockton. Henry has been presumed dead for years in the war. His appearance raises a ruckus in the village, especially in the home of Kate Dearborne. Kate's family has been enemies of the Stockton family for generations. But when Kate and Henry begin to form an attachment, what will happen to their families?

I thought the author did a good job of grabbing the reader's attention from the first page. You can feel the animosity and distrust grow in each chapter. The romance is sweet, not sappy or overwhelming. I also liked the relationship between Kate and her brother.

Loved The Weaver's Daughter, and the time period so interestingly covered; 1812 in Yorkshire, England. It was a time of progress, transition, and strife between the old ways and the new ways in the weaving and miller industry. Both Kate and Henry, the main characters are honorable, but on different sides of the issue. Kate is the weaver's daughter (representing the 'old ways') and Henry inherits the Stockton Mill (representing the 'new ways'). This engaging and intriguing tale, complete with both principled and unprincipled characters was a delight to read. Sarah Ladd's descriptions make you feel like you are right there. Fans of historical fiction with a side of romance will love this story!

This is a fun and entertaining read. A bit predictable and the beginning seemed to be a little slow, but still a very enjoyable read. The plot is very well done and the chemistry and interaction between the characters was lovely! I found myself looking forward to when they would meet again.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Kate Dearborne is from a weaver family in an area where wool is the primary source of income. The Dearbornes are one of the biggest wool producers in Amberdale and the Stocktons are the other major family. In and amongst these two families are some bitter feelings about how the individual businesses are run.

Kate knows she is capable of running a weaving business, but her father wants her to just do womanly things, and get married. He even has her future husband picked out for her.

Henry Stockton, the grandson of the mill owner, has returned to town after being thought dead for three years. He and his grandfather go at loggerheads over the running of the mill. A couple of chance meetings between Henry and Kate give Kate the opportunity to tell Henry how his mill could be run better.

Sarah Ladd has written a solid book with a detailed look into labor practices of the time -- especially the use of children in working the looms, as well as the reluctance of the people to engage the newer technologies.

I enjoyed the book, but I found it pretty predictable. It wasn't hard to figure out where the plot was going and how it was going to play out. Still and all, it's a solid four star book.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read and review this book.

This was hard to put down. Once I got started I just had to keep reading. This had the same feel as Gaskell’s North and South. The fight between the mill owners and the workers although this was more about how mills were putting certain trades or craftsmen out of work. The difficulty Henry had to run a mill and remain profitable so he could continue to provide jobs to so many yet at the same time not exploit those that worked for him. The craftsmen are upset because their livelihoods are disappearing and they only see the mills as the enemy. Such a hard time period! And poor Kate is caught between it all and has some hard choices to make. Loved the story and enjoyed seeing the relationship develop.

My only problem with the story relates to Henry’s sister. Her having child out of wedlock was somewhat portrayed as less offensive or sinful than the lie she tells to try to cover it up. Each is sin and luckily each is forgivable but there are always consequences. I would be interested to see this made into a series so we can see Mollie and her child find that forgiveness and hopefully happiness. Kate’s brother Charles too needs to find a good woman to share his life with.

A good look into the lives of families affected by the industrial revolution. Has a great romantic story as well. A good read hard to put down. Loved this book.

The Weaver’s Daughter is a pretty good read. I was intrigued with the story, as well as, with Kate and Henry. Their unlikely alliance made me wonder if they would be able to make it work. I loved the historical details and setting that made the plot flow well. I thought it was inspiring and made me as a reader really think.
I enjoyed The Weaver’s Daughter and give it 4 stars. I recommend it for those who love a good historical.
I received this book from the publisher but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my honest opinion.

THE WEAVER'S DAUGHTER by SARAH E. LADD takes place in the village of Amberdale in 1812, against the background of a stand off between the weavers and millers, particularly between the Stockton and Dearborne families.
When Henry Stockton comes back after three years of fighting on the Iberian Peninsula, he is encouraged by his grandfather and the Penningtons to have nothing to do with the Dearbornes. He is a changed man after all he has been through in the war, and, although loyal to his grandfather and the family business, he feels he should be allowed to make his own decisions and live his own life. He seems to have escaped one war only to land in the middle of another one!
Kate's father has also warned Kate against the Stocktons, especially since her brother Charles has defected to the other camp. She is torn between loyalty to her father on the one hand, and fascination with the handsome Henry Stockton and love for her brother on the other.
The novel has a feeling of Jane Austin with the language and period in which it takes place. The plot is well worked out and the characters real. We see the dangers of living with greed, hatred and unforgiveness as opposed to walking in love, kindness and truth. We see what true loyalty entails.
It is a love story with a good dose of intrigue, and an enjoyable read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Sarah E. Ladd's "The Weaver's Daughter" is a great read! If you love Regency books you will love Sarah Ladd. She writes a wonderful story. Full of real characters and history made real. Danger, intrigue and romance. The mill owners making improvements and moving with the change of times and the small home operations that don't want to see change.

Kate and Henry both are loyal to there families. Henry returns from the war, he is the heir to the mill and Kate's fathers arch enemy. But there is an attraction between them. Different stations in life, parents and expectations try to keep them apart. Can love win or are there to many dangers to overcome.

I received this book from NetGalley with no expectations for a positive review. All expressed opinions are my own.

I loved this book! It had a lot of action, some mystery, romance, and just a good story about loyalty, doing what’s right at the cost of disloyalty, and forgiveness. This novel was so captivating, I could actually feel the turmoil and emotions of the characters. It was hard to put this book down, I rate it a 5 star!! If you you are looking for a great read check it out ;).